“Mi nombre es Roberto”: 10 Quotes That Define Roberto Clemente's Legacy
Roberto Clemente was more than just a Hall of Fame ballplayer. He was a pioneer and humanitarian whose impact stretched far beyond the game. A star right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 to 1972, Clemente won two World Series championships, collected exactly 3,000 hits and became the first Latin American player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Read memorable quotes from Clemente himself and from those who continue to be inspired by his greatness on and off the field.
The two-hour documentary special, Clemente, premieres Tuesday, September 23, at 8/7c and streams the next day on the HISTORY® Channel App.
"Dad was a very proud Puerto Rican… He did not want to lose that and wanted to make sure that people understood that his name was not Bob. His name was Roberto. He was born in Puerto Rico." - Roberto Clemente Jr.
Clemente hugs his mother at the San Juan airport in 1961, the year he won the National League batting title. (Photo Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)
"If I’m good enough to play here, I have to be good enough to be treated like the rest of the players." - Roberto Clemente
Clemente stands proudly at second base after hitting a double during a 1972 playoff game. (Photo Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)
"He dominated that series [1971 World Series]… Clemente is an indisputably great player. And his era is a great era filled with some of the most memorable players, and he took his place among them. Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Roberto Clemente." - Bob Costas, Professional Broadcaster
National League stars Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron stand together for a victory portrait after the All-Star Game of 1961 in San Francisco. (Photo Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)
"I represent the common people of America. These people have been wonderful to me, and I think they have pushed me to accomplish what I have accomplished." - Roberto Clemente
Clemente spending time with young baseball players before the opening game of the 1972 National League playoffs. (Photo Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)
"Times dictate who transcends the game. There’s that wonderful photo of him with the clouds behind him where he’s just an angel. He became that." - Richard Linklater, Filmmaker
Clemente on the baseball field in New York on June 27th, 1967. (Photo Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)
"When I saw Roberto Clemente for the first time it was at my house. Jesus Christ was in a picture and Roberto Clemente was right next to him." - Yadier Molina, Former Professional Baseball Player
Clemente stands at home plate during a MLB baseball game in the early 1970s. (Photo Credit: Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
"He went beyond the game of baseball. That is the part that separates him from the Babe Ruths, from the Willie Mays, from the Ted Williams… Baseball is secondary to what the name Clemente means." - Roberto Clemente Jr.
National League President Warren Giles presents the 1965 National League Batting Champion trophy (Photo Credit: Bettman/Getty Images)
"We as Latinos, we are treated as third-class citizens. He thought it was very important that we’d elevate our way of carrying ourselves. All the eyes are on us, and we have to work harder than everyone else to be successful." - Roberto Clemente Jr.
Roberto, his wife Vera, and their son Roberto Clemente Jr. in their apartment in June of 1966. (Photo Credit: Charles "Teenie" Harris/Carnegie Museum of Art/Getty Images)
"He remains this paragon of what the best of us can be. It really transcends sport." — Tom Morello, Professional Musician
The Pittsburgh Pirates stand during the national anthem before a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on Roberto Clemente Day, September 15, 2022. (Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
"He can’t die. His story, his legacy cannot die." - Bengie Molina, Former Professional Baseball Player
Susan Wagner’s Roberto Clemente statue outside the Roberto Clemente Bridge, near PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. (Photo Credit: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
